Whole brain coaching solutions

The author of this article, Vincent Bouw (vincent@papilionovare.com),  is a Certified Practitioner in Whole  Brain Thinking and the HBDI instrument.

Much research has been done on the brain and although we are discovering new things every day, there is still a lot of mystery around how the human brain actually works.  Whole brain thinking started with the discovery of the left and the right hemisphere. Based on research by Roger Sperry, for which he was awarded the 1981 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine, we now use this metaphor and know that the left and the right brain house different functions and have a different focus.

These different focus areas in the brain are very well described in the Whole Brain Model© (Figure 1) by Ned Herrmann. Herrmann dedicated most of his life to developing knowledge and tools around whole brain thinking and brain dominance. As a result he created a metaphor for the brain called the Whole Brain Model® and the HBDI® instrument to profile your thinking preferences (Figure 2). Both the model and instrument are validated through several studies. For more information, visit www.hbdi.com or www.herrmann.com.au.

So why use a Whole Brain approach to coaching?

Most companies approach performance management through measurement and performance appraisals. Performance measurement and appraisals is about process, goals, numbers, ranking, analyzing performance etc. These are all left brain functions (Herrmann Whole Brain Model®).

According to Hay Group (2006) the most successful companies have a balanced approach to performance management, meaning they also focus on performance development and coaching. Looking at the key elements, skills and competencies, related to performance development, it is easy to see that these are predominantly located in the right brain e.g. inter-personal, emotional/empathetic, holistic, etc. (Herrmann Whole Brain Model®). 

Therefore a whole brain approach is an ideal way to create that balance in performance management between performance measurement and development.

The ACT Coaching Model^TM (developed by Papilio Novare) focuses on creating action, since only action creates reality and success. Unlike many other models, the ACT Coaching Model^TM first explores current and desired reality before setting goals. Many people don’t really know where exactly they want to go or what their aspiration is. By exploring a “magical reality” they get an opportunity to dream freely and envision a future without limiting themselves. Once the aspiration is clear we can start bringing it back to their reality by setting specific goals.

The next steps in the model is to create awareness, these are key steps, for only through increasing awareness can learning and development take place.

Once we have insight in to our current reality, our goals and desired future, we can start planning our journey to success and develop our action plan.

 The 7 elements of the ACT Coaching Model^TM link in with Herrmann’s Whole Brain Model® and the coachee’s HBDI® profile can be used to support the coaching.

 Although there is no fixed starting point in the ACT Coaching Model^TM the 7 elements of the model form a step-by-step cycle that can be repeated until the desired results have been accomplished.

 Contact Papilio Novare for more information on Whole Brain Thinking, the HBDI instrument and the ACT Coaching Model^TM at info@papilionovare.com

Performance management can be defined as the organized method of monitoring results of work activities, evaluating performance to determine achievement of goals, and using performance information to make decisions, allocate resources and communicate whether objectives are met. It also involves creating a work environment or setting in which people are enabled to perform to the best of their abilities. 

Looking at performance management, it is captured between two extremes, one end can be defined as “managing with the carrot” or using ‘soft’ development techniques and the other end of the scale as “managing with the stick” or using ‘hard’ measurement techniques. Each approach has its own positives and drawbacks. Organisations that have implemented a performance management system will fall somewhere between ‘development’ and ‘measurement’ (Hay Group, 2006)

The performance management cycle is a systematic approach to performance management and will typically include:

• Setting objectives.
• Using relevant performance indicators and other measures.
• Regularly monitoring and appraising individuals and teams to identify achievements.
• Determining skill/competency gaps and training and development needs.
• Using the knowledge gained to modify plans.

 The typical performance management cycle will have four stages:

• Plan: clearly identify what performance is required and how it will be measured.
• Do: encourage performance to the required standard and provide support and development.
• Review: assess and evaluate performance against a set of measures.
• Revise: seek improvements where performance standards have not been achieved and make adjustments for the next planning round as necessary.

Most companies are managing for performance through performance measurement (Hay Group, 2006). The traditional way to do that is through performance appraisals (a method by which the job performance of an employee is measured and evaluated), and that is where the performance management system starts to break down.

Below are some quotes that capture the problems with performance appraisals very well,

Josh Bersin (Article: The Death of the Performance Appraisal – Redefining Performance Management): We all know that most performance appraisals do not work – our research shows that only 35% of organizations have such an enterprise-wide process and among these fewer than 40% of employees find the process valuable and fewer than 45% of HR managers find the process valuable. I cannot remember more than one performance appraisal in my entire career (30+ years) which was valuable.

Stephen Covey (The 8th Habit, 2004, pg 259): Traditional performance appraisal is clearly one of the bloodletting management practices of our day. […] this is where the boss basically interviews an employee and uses the sandwich technique – say a few nice words, slip in the knife, twist a few times – “areas for improvement” – and then pat them on their way.

The traditional way of performance management through measurement seems to be reduced to a process where performance appraisals are nothing more than an annual administrative process, juggling the numbers, analyzing and evaluating the performance. Managers in these kinds of organizations are focused on driving the process, ticking boxes, ranking there employees and in essence pushing paper instead of focusing on the people and their development.

The most successful companies have implemented a performance management system that holds the middle between performance measurement and performance development (Hay Group, 2006). So to have a more balanced performance management system we need to shift focus from performance measurement to development.

Performance development focuses on developing and improving skills and competencies of the employees so that they can and will improve their performance. Performance development is traditionally done mainly through training which has an average increase in productivity of only 22.4%, but when followed up with coaching, productivity increase soars to 88% (Public Personnel Management Magazine, 1997).

Performance coaching is for sure the best technique to help people develop skills and competencies and has the highest business impact (Bersin & Associates, 2009).

Papilio Novare supports organisations in transforming potential into performance. Please feel free to contact us at info@papilionovare.com for further advise on how you can balance your performance management system effectively!

Having explored performance management in organisations, it seems to be mainly a process driven system that is externally imposed on the employee i.e. outside-in. However, introducing coaching creates an inside-out approach, for the power of coaching lies very much in the fact that it works exactly the opposite way. With coaching the employees themselves are the centre and starting point for performance management and they are asked to evaluate themselves. This particularly works well when you have a high-trust culture, helpful systems that are tools not goals in themselves (Stephen Covey, The 8^th Habit).

For many organizations and managers it might feel as a paradox, but it seems that to get your employees to become more self-evaluating, self-developing and ultimately self-managing, you need to loosen the grip and start getting used to being in command but out of control (Malcolm Gladwell, Blink).

Papilio Novare supports organisations in making this essential shift to create sustainable results and success. Please feel free to contact us at info@papilionovare.com for further advise  on how you can win tomorrow!

Act Power Tool

Can you remember when you were a child and you had all those dreams, all those things you were going to do when you were grown up?

Can you also remember not too long ago when you were thinking back to all those dreams you had as a child but in the end you never realized them?

Many, or arguably all of us, can identify with the above. So why don’t you pursue your dreams? What is stopping you from doing what you really want to do? What is your inner voice telling you?

- I will fail anyway…

- It is not realistic nor possible for me…

- Where will I find the time and the money…

- Compared to other people, I don’t believe I have what it takes…

So what excuses are you making to stop yourself from moving forward and to be successful beyond your imagination? What is your biggest fear?

The ACT power tool will help you to become aware of the foundation of your self talk. All of us have that little voice in our head talking to us all the time. It is telling us what to do and what not to do, what risk might be involved, what the best next step might be, if something is realistic of not, etc.

We live in a world that is still mainly dominated by left brain thinking and educating, although a shift towards right brain thinking and educating has started. Looking at the education systems in the world, most of them are still mainly focusing on developing the left brain functions e.g. language, science, maths, logical thinking, analyzing, working with numbers, problem solving, planning, being realistic and factual, etc.

More often than not, it is this dominant focus from one side of the brain that is stopping us from creating breakthrough action and taking that essential first step towards our dreams. Too much focus on left or right will limit us to reach our full potential, balance is the key.

The ACT power tool will help identify where your focus might be and then support you in shifting perspective to the other side, either by moving from mainly left brain perspective to the right brain or visa versa.

The balance will move you forward towards success!

 

For more information on the ACT power tool or ACT coaching model, please contact us at  info@papilionovare.com

The below article is a summary of my ICA reseach paper: Is Coaching The Holy Grail Of Performance Management? If you like to receive a copy, please sent an email to vincent@papilionovare.com

We are living in an era of globalisation and a world that is ever changing and developing. The pace of changes has never been this high before and it looks like the pace is only picking up. Technological developments are rocketing forward with a speed where one might start to wonder if this can go on. One of the biggest changes of the last century must be the internet, for it has given us instant access to everything we need to know and more. It seems as if knowledge has been reduced to a commodity and that we have truly moved from the information age into the conceptual age (Daniel Pink, 2008).

In today’s business world we now can compete with each other in a virtual market space where time and space get a whole different meaning. However, amongst all these changes, some things remain the same. Business is essentially still about making money or saving money and therefore about managing the performance of the organisation and perhaps more accurately managing the human capital performance.

When we think of human capital performance, coaching is one of the first things that comes to mind. In the last decade, coaching has firmly taken its seat in the business world and has proven that it is here to stay. But what is “coaching for performance”? How do you do that? There is still a lot of confusion and misconception around it and people are wondering if coaching really is the Holy Grail of performance management.

Having explored performance management, it seems to be mainly a process driven system that is externally imposed on the employee i.e. outside-in. However, introducing coaching creates an inside-out approach, for the power of coaching lies very much in the fact that it works exactly the opposite way. With coaching the employees themselves are the centre and starting point for performance management and they are asked to evaluate themselves. This particularly works well when you have a high-trust culture, helpful systems that are tools not goals in themselves (Stephen Covey, The 8^th Habit).

For many organizations and managers it might feel as a paradox, but it seems that to get your employees to become more self-evaluating, self-developing and ultimately self-managing, you need to loosen the grip and start getting used to being in command but out of control (Malcolm Gladwell, Blink).

We have seen that a balanced approach is needed in performance management, between measurement and development, left and right brain approach.

In coaching, great breakthroughs in reframing an employee’s perception and letting them move forward (i.e. develop) are made when balancing the left and right brain approach to things. The typical left brained person will look at things in a narrow and deep way, while the right brained person tends to take a wide and shallow view. The combination of left and right (not necessarily both at the same time, as it can be very powerful to switch sides multiple times) will give the person a wide and deep view.

Therefore a person who is extremely left brained in their view of a certain situation will benefit hugely by shifting their perception through looking at things from a right brain perspective (and visa versa).

So there is only one last thing to do and that is to answer the question… is coaching the Holy Grail of performance management?

Based on my research, the answer is ‘No’, it is not. Although coaching has brought balance to performance management by shifting the focus towards performance development, we also need to be realistic and admit that the corporate world at this point in time is still dominated by the focus on either making money and/or saving money. Therefore businesses will ultimately remain aligned and organised to support that goal.

However, coaching has not just shifted the balance, it is very much shifting the balance towards performance development and focus on people. It might just be a matter of time before we reach the tipping point, that magical moment when the concept of coaching has reached a critical mass and tips the scales. How far we are removed from that moment is unsure, but perhaps later in hindsight we are able to say… ‘Yes’ coaching was indeed the Holy Grail, not just for performance management but for the entire corporate world.

If you like to receive a copy of the research paper covering this subject fully, please sent an email to vincent@papilionovare.com

Research is continuously showing that coaching is the best way to add value to your bottom line and some say coaching is the only way to truly improve the performance of your human capital.

 

This interesting article talks about “The Death of the Performance Appraisal – Redefining Performance Management”

 

Performance appraisals do not work - research shows that:

·         only 35% of organizations have such an enteprise-wide process.

·         only 40% of employees find the [performance appraisal] process valuable.

·         only 45% of HR managers find the [performance appraisal] process valuable.

·         Coaching has the highest overall business impact.

 

Find the full article here:

http://joshbersin.com/2007/09/15/redefining-performance-management/

 

Is your human capital delivering the performance that you need to achieve your strategic goals?

“Your perception is your reality.”

Many of us know this quote and some of us agree with it and others might argue that there is not only perception but also an absolute reality, either from a religious, spiritual or scientific standpoint. Then again I can argue that nothing is absolute, and that it is all a matter of what you choose to perceive… and believe. But let’s not get bogged down into these discussions, but focus on the main item in this statement, “perception”.

There is a lot written about perception, many have expressed and argued their view and opinion on the subject. What I would like to do is look at it from a very practical point of view, and most of all to Keep It Simple (KIS). Let me say that I am a strong believer in the power of KIS. I believe that in today’s world there is already so much complexity around us, which overwhelms us to a point where it is keeping many of us from being happy and successful. Also, in order to grow and develop (be it as an individual or an organization) we need to simplify things, unwrap ourselves from the conditioning and bureaucracy and strip down to the essence, the core of the matter.

Ask a fool a question and you will get a simplistic answer;

Ask an expert a question and you will get a complex answer;

Ask a master a question and you will get a simple answer.

This week I had a great meeting with a colleague coach who talked about perception and how it creates a persons reality. It got me thinking about something that I contemplated in my early twenties, namely “Who am I really?” Am I who I think I am, how I perceive myself to be… or am I what others say I am, how others perceive me to be?

So the question is, is your perception your reality or is the other person’s perception of you your reality? This is an important difference and plays a significant role in the awareness you are developing about you and the reality you live in.

Let me answer this question with a little story;

There is a man driving a car on the highway and on the radio there is a news-flash: “Please be aware that a ‘ghost-driver’ (car going against traffic) has been spotted near Hamilton on highway 6 heading North.”. The man in the car thinks, “that is exactly where I am driving now, but there is not just one ‘ghost-driver’ there are hundreds!”.

Most of us live in our own world where our perception of things is our reality… so I am wondering how many of us are really like that man on the highway, driving in the wrong direction.

Some people dream about things and think “Why?”, I dream about things and think “Why not!”.
One of my favorite lines and something I try to live by, I tell myself “Why not indeed!”.

I do believe that many people probably know what their dream is but are stopping themselves from living it and being the best they can be, to do what they really want to do and to achieve their dreams.
However I wonder how many of us are actually not afraid to fail but are afraid to be successful beyond their wildest dreams and imagination!

I ask myself, what is their deepest fear that holds them back? What is my deepest fear?

Personally the following text (by Marianne Williamson) resonates deep with me:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”.
Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles” by Marianne Williamson. You might also know it from the great movie “Coach Carter“:

So I ask myself how do we liberate ourselves from our fears and self imposed limitations?
How can I help others to liberate themselves?

I believe Galileo Galilei gave the key to finding the answer when he said: “You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself.” Therefore, I believe the key to unlocking your full potential and realise your dreams is already inside of you and perhaps a good coach and/or mentor can help you to find it.

I have learned that my dream is to help people (and therefore organisations) to find and fulfil their dreams.

So my question to you is what is your dream and are you already living it or is something stopping you?